World News

JDub Records, the innovative not-for-profit record and event production company responsible for launching Matisyahu and Mediterranean electro-dancehall collective Balkan Beat Box, will celebrate its five-year anniversary this July with a handful of special shows across the country, including Sunday, July 20 at the Celebrate Brooklyn Bandshell in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, and Sunday, July 27 at Grand Performances in Los Angeles.&nbspThe Brooklyn concert, to be hosted by comedian Michael Showalter (Wet Hot American Summer, Stella, The State), will feature a collection of groundbreaking musicians from JDub's diverse roster such as Gypsy, folk-punk auteurs Golem - hailed by The New Yorker as a band with "a wild, edgy approach with a reverence for old-world tradition," Israeli hip-hop dancehall crew Soulico and 15th Century Ladino indie-rockers Deleon. Also confirmed is the ritualistic afro-pop/Cantorial blues-influenced Sway Machinery (featuring members of Balkan Beat Box, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Antibalas). Special guests are also in the works, including Jon Langford of the Mekons and Hungry March Band, and others.&nbsp"We've spent the last five years building JDub Records and striving to discover and represent the best possible Jewish-related artists for our audience," said Aaron Bisman, President of JDub Records. "We are so excited to put on a free show for New York to thank our fans and supporters for five great years and get ready for five more."&nbspFor the Los Angeles concert, JDub will present Golem and Soulico, who at both events will be joined by MCs from Israel including Ethiopian MCs Axum and JDub's newest international signing, hip-hop MC Sagol 59. Soulico will also perform club shows in Denver on July 23rd at The Walnut Room and in Cleveland on July 24th at Grog Shop, both with Axum and Sagol 59.&nbspFor the last five years, JDub has proudly developed and promoted quality Jewish music within the mainstream. JDub artists have been featured in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, on Pitchfork, NPR, and MTV, and continue to tour the world. Having recently signed a distribution deal with Virtual Label Group/RYKO Distribution, JDub is entering its most prolific year yet, beginning in August with releases from Deleon and the MC of Balkan Beat Box, Tomer Yosef, and in in October with Soulico.Time: Doors open at 4PM music from 5PM - 9PM&nbspPrice: Free ($3 suggested donation) JDub's 5th Anniversary Week - Full Schedule:Sunday, July 20 - Brooklyn, NY - Celebrate Brooklyn/Prospect Park Bandshell (free)Wednesday, July 23 - Denver, CO - The Walnut Room ($9)Thursday, July 24 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop ($8)Sunday, July 27 - Los Angeles, CA - Grand Performances (free)